The Cradle Adoption Agency to Celebrate 100-Year Anniversary with Centennial Gala, Sept. 23 in Chicago

EVANSTON, Ill., Aug. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Illinois nonprofit adoption agency The Cradle is celebrating its 100-year anniversary with The Cradle Centennial Gala fundraiser. The event takes place from 6 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, at The Geraghty in Chicago. Friends and supporters are invited to commemorate a century of building families through adoption and ushering in The Cradle's next 100 years.

"Our gala is a celebration of the families in our Cradle community, a beacon of love and care. Our legacy shines with pride, supporting more than 16,000 adoption journeys," says Jason Friedman, President and CEO of The Cradle. "This event will mark a night of reflection, joy, and the promise of a future filled with endless hope for those touched by adoption."

Guests will enjoy dinner and live music from Lynn Jordan and the Shivers, a local Chicago band specializing in blues, jazz, funk and rock, and a chance to participate in a paddle raise and a live auction. Proceeds from the Centennial Gala will be used to enhance support services and programming — from expectant parent options counseling to adoption-competent family therapy, education for adoptive parents and much more.

The Cradle is proud of its longevity and commitment to offering ethical, inclusive and lifelong support to the tens of thousands of people touched by adoption. The Centennial Gala celebrates The Cradle's vibrant community and the bright future ahead, uniting more families with love and compassion.

The Centennial Gala would not be possible without The Cradle's Centennial Gala Committee: Penelope Savalas Boardman, John Luce, Kimberly Simonton and George Wilkins; the National Centennial Committee: Jane and Neil Cummins, Sharon and Greg Kaczmarek, Shelley McKenna, Chris Phenner, Mary and Tom Rogers, Nancy Sanborn and Dick Dahling and Nancy Walsworth; and sponsors: The Connelly Family, Kimberly Simonton, Nancy and C. Richard Walsworth, Nancy Sanborn and Richard Dahling, Jane and Neil Cummins, Jeanne and Bill Enright, KPMG, Doug and John Luce, Julia Paster, Rothschild Investment LLC, Phyllis Thomas and Alan Curtis, Sarah Van Steenburg, Mary B. and Stephen T. Walrath, Kathy and Jerry Biederman, J'ai and Frank Brown, Jeff Brown and Jake Nuber, HPS Chicago, George Wilkins, Penelope Savalas Boardman, Jessie and Joel Solomon and Wintrust Community Bank.

For more information, to donate or bid on live auction items, visit cradle.org/gala.

ABOUT THE CRADLE: The Cradle is proud to celebrate 100 years of building families through adoption. Since opening in 1923, The Cradle has facilitated more than 16,000 domestic and international adoptions and has been at the forefront of open adoption, African American infant adoption, and placements with LGBTQ+ families. The Cradle is the only adoption agency in the country with an on-site nursery to care for infants around the clock. Learn more at cradle.org or call 847-475-5800. To speak with a Cradle counselor, call our 24-hour toll-free HELPLINE, 800-CRADLE4 (800-272-3534).

SOURCE The Cradle Society